The new year has begun and it wouldn’t be bad to start it right by getting rid of all the things that are not necessary, that occupy too much space and only sit there to collect dust. Also, once you remove all these useless things, you will feel your house is bigger and that you have an organized life. Here are ten things you should get rid of.
1 The clothes you no longer wear
People have this amazing tendency to collect things and clothes are no exception to the rule. When it comes to clothes, we all thing that we should have as many as possible and even keep the really old ones, because certain style tend to return. However, if you keep all the old clothes, how will you make room for the new ones that you buy. When it comes to clothes, the rule is simple: if you haven’t worn an item in the past 12 months, you should probably get rid of it. To make things easier, as a friend to come help you sort your clothes and together you can decide what is worth keeping.
2. Papers you don’t use
Sure, you need to keep certain papers for a period of time, such as those related to taxes and receipts for payments. But you don’t have to keep a lot of copies for fear of throwing something important. When it comes to utility bills, most of the information is available online and if you make online payments or credit card payments, you have your entire history in your bank account.
3. Office supplies
If your office is filled with dry pens or a lot of pens that no longer work, it is good to know that you can throw them away. Get rid of all the supplies that you haven’t touched for the past year and make room for family pictures and all sorts of objects that can increase your productivity.
4. Old electronics
Unused gadgets, just like old cables only occupy space and attract dust. Often people do feel right to get rid of old cables and keep them around thinking that they will someday need them. We are not saying that you have to throw everything away, but you have no use for a broken toaster, if you already have one working perfectly in your kitchen.
5. Mismatched things
This includes mismatched socks, plastic containers without a lid, lids without containers, linens that do not belong to any set, jars from sauces that you bought at the store. You are not going to use them, so it is time to clear some space.
6. Outdated kitchen products
Cleaning the kitchen cabinet is something that you should do periodically, not just at the beginning of a new year. Food supplements and vitamins expire in a certain period of time. The same applies in the case of herbs spices in the kitchen. And believe me, this has happened to me: not using oregano for a long time and then discovering that it was expired. Or worse: using it and then looking at the expiration date. Nothing bad will happen to your health to add an expired spice in the food, but I’m not sure if this is good on the long term. So, check their expiration date and, who knows, maybe you will find inspiration for new dishes.
7. Old products makeup and nail polish
Many women get makeup products that they only use on special day (eg wedding day), forget about them and in the meantime they have long passed their expiration date. This is a serious issue, because applying expired makeup products to sensitive areas, such as the eyes, can cause irritation and other serious health problems. So, better throw them away if you do not want to accidentally use them
8. Some of the children’s things
Kids make all sorts of painting, color books, cut pieces of paper. Sure, all the things your kids make are wonderful memories, but that doesn’t mean you have to keep everything they male. They occupy valuable space (you surely have them stored in some boxes) and they are a source for dust. Talk to your children and decide together what is worth keeping and what not.
9. Books
So, we are not telling you to throw away books. But picture this: you have hundreds of books, but you now use a Kindle or a tablet to do all your reading. You probably have books that will not pone because them you’ve read them already on your device. Gather your books, not all of them of course, and give them to friends or underprivileged kids who like to read, but cannot afford to buy books. You save space and do a good deed at the same time.
10. Washing machine
We associate washing clothes with cleanliness, but some studies show that it contains about one hundred million E. Coli bacteria extremely dangerous to our health. And short-term programs, with washing at temperatures below 40 degrees Celsius, most commonly used by many of us, are not able to destroy Staphylococcus aureus responsible for the occurrence of urinary tract infections or pneumonia. So even if it is functional, a washing machine should be replaced every 10-11 years.
11. Toothbrush
3 months is the maximum period of validity of a used toothbrush. After this period, the same brush becomes responsible for many infections of the mouth, because of the increased number of bacteria it has.
12. Kitchen cutting boards
Especially wooden ones, should be replaced annually. Plastic ones can be used for maximum three years and must be changed when they present traces of cutting where a lot of germs and bacteria harmful to our health can nest.
13. Bathroom towels
They should be discarded after maximum five years of use, especially if not washed regularly at 90 degrees. Old towels can transmit diseases such as conjunctivitis, Staphylococcus aureus infections, scabies and more.
14. Old pillows
Did you know that a new pillow will double its weight in the first three years of use because of dust and mites that will accumulate during this period?
15. Old mattresses
As with pillows, mattresses are a source of bacteria that could cause allergies. Even a high quality mattress should be changed every ten years.
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